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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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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: trunk · hide · racket · wind · jam · pitcher · stick · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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