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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a document
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. file — a tool
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bank — of a river
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bank — for money
  15. tube — a container
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bulb — for light
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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