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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wake — a trail
  4. march — the month
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. march — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. pitcher — a jug

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