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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  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. swing — to play on
  2. swing — music
  3. last — to go on
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — a trail
  7. last — finally
  8. scale — in music
  9. track — a song
  10. swing — in golf
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. scale — size or range
  13. rush — hurry
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. last — final
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a path
  23. rush — a thrill
  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