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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bass — low music
  7. stand — to bear
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bass — the fish
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wake — a trail
  16. object — a thing
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. object — to protest
  20. game — a match
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rash — hasty
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. game — a kind of play

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