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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: firm · rash · trunk · wound · nail · wake · date · pitch

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. rash — a series
  3. firm — steady
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. firm — decided
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rash — hasty
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wound — an injury
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. date — the fruit
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wound — an injury
  24. firm — a company

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