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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 · rest · trunk · can · row · cap · object · bass

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a line
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. row — to paddle
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — low music
  14. cap — of ice
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — what's left
  21. object — to protest
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rest — a break

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