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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. file — a line of people
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spring — the season
  14. dip — to sink
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — a coil
  18. file — a document
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. file — a tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — to dunk
  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