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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: dip · trunk · game · mug · wave · key · straw · rush

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. game — wild animals
  3. dip — to sink
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. game — a match
  8. mug — a cup
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rush — hurry
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. key — in music
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. mug — a face
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. straw — dry grass

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