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

Word bank: wake · bowl · firm · hide · squash · degree · trunk · pit

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. firm — a company
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. degree — temperature
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. degree — from a university
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. degree — an amount
  12. firm — decided
  13. firm — steady
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pit — a hole
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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