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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spell — a short time
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. object — to protest
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. spell — magic
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spell — letters
  16. mark — a trace
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — an aim
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. object — a thing

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