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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cell — in biology
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fine — high quality
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. saw — the tool
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cell — a phone

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