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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 116 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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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: trunk · craft · staff · tube · leaves · cold · wave · swing

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. swing — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. craft — boats
  6. cold — not warm
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cold — an illness
  14. staff — employees
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. craft — a skill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. staff — employees

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