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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: foot · fall · suit · band · wave · wind · trunk · field

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. field — for sport
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. fall — the season
  9. field — a subject
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. field — farmland
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — in cards
  17. wind — moving air
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. fall — to drop
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. band — a ring

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