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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: plane · wave · straw · race · wake · trunk · dip · ball

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. ball — a great time
  5. race — the arms race
  6. plane — a tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. race — a contest
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ball — a dance
  23. race — humankind
  24. plane — an aircraft

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