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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: wound · spring · wave · trunk · fork · current · capital · mate

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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 an elephant
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. capital — money
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. current — electric
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spring — of water
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — a friend
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mate — a partner
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. capital — a city

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