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

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — for money
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. suit — to fit
  5. band — a music group
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — tied together
  8. march — music
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bound — certain
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bank — for money
  15. suit — in cards
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. march — the month
  21. bank — of a river
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. wave — of the sea

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