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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wave · mine · mug · track · tube · deal · perch

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — to keep track
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. tube — the underground
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mine — for digging
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. tube — a container
  13. deal — to handle
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mug — a face
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. track — a song
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wave — with your hand

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