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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 120 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: content · stem · wave · squash · foot · trunk · rule · swing

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. content — happy
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rule — a law
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. content — the amount
  13. swing — to play on
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rule — government
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stem — to come from
  24. swing — music

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