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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rash — hasty
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bass — low music
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wake — a trail
  11. rash — a series
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. can — a tin
  14. march — the month
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. can — a tin
  22. key — in music
  23. can — to be able to
  24. key — for a lock

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