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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. shower — rain
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. capital — a city
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. shower — to wash
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wake — a trail
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pit — in a race
  17. mate — a friend
  18. capital — money
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wake — before a funeral

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