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

Word bank: mark · safe · wake · cold · pit · trunk · wind · snap

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. pit — in a race
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. cold — not warm
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — an illness
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wind — moving air
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. snap — to click
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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