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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. snap — to click
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. fork — in a road
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rush — hurry
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rush — a thrill

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