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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · pop · mug · swing · wake · sharp · trunk · mark

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pop — soda
  6. mark — a grade
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. pop — music
  10. swing — music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mug — to rob
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. swing — to play on
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. mark — a trace
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mug — a face

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