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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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Word bank
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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 · fork · degree · bay · wave · kick

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. 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 car
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. degree — temperature
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. degree — from a university
  14. fork — in a road
  15. kick — in football
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. 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