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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ground — a position
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. charge — in control
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tube — a container
  24. snap — to click

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