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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wake · court · trunk · fall · chair · bear · dip · season

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chair — a leader
  3. season — of the year
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. fall — to drop
  8. season — in sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. fall — the season
  14. court — of law
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bear — the animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. dip — to sink

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