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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — in music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. scale — size or range
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. wound — an injury

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