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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. squash — to crush
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. deal — to handle
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bass — the fish
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — low music
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. wake — before a funeral

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com