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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: roll · dip · wake · mug · last · scale · pop · trunk

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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 — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — to rob
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — music
  6. last — final
  7. wake — a trail
  8. scale — size or range
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. last — finally
  11. roll — a cake
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. scale — in music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. pop — soda
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. last — to go on
  22. roll — a list
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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