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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 · game · plane · fine · chest · scale · wave · bound

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bound — obliged
  10. scale — size or range
  11. bound — certain
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. chest — of your body
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. scale — in music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. fine — high quality

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