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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 120 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 · deal · pit · wake · straw · hide · plane · kick

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. deal — to handle
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. pit — in a race
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wake — a trail
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pit — a hole
  21. plane — a tool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. straw — dry grass

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