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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. current — electric
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pop — to visit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rash — hasty
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pop — soda
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. current — happening now
  17. pop — music
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rash — a series
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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