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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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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: face · wave · bowl · swing · cell · trunk

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. face — part of the head
  4. face — to point toward
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. swing — in golf
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. swing — music
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. face — to confront
  18. swing — to play on

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