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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: mark · rock · band · wave · land · trunk · leaves · hide

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. land — a country
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a music group
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. band — a ring
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. land — ground
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. land — to come down
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rock — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rock — a stone

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