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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 124 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. wake — a trail
  3. suit — in cards
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. band — a ring
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a music group
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. suit — to fit
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. staff — a stick
  20. roll — a cake
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. roll — a list
  23. staff — employees
  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