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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stock — goods
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fine — all right
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. stock — shares
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. degree — from a university
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wound — an injury
  21. degree — an amount
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. fine — high quality

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