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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. track — a song
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fine — high quality
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. key — the most important part
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wake — a trail
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. track — a path
  17. key — in music
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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