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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wake — a trail
  3. face — part of the head
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — completely
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. fall — to drop
  12. face — to confront
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. face — to point toward
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. current — happening now
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fall — the season

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