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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: file · safe · date · trunk · current · wake · game · wave

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. game — a match
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wake — a trail
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. file — a document
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. game — wild animals
  17. current — electric
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. date — the fruit
  20. file — a tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. current — of water
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. current — happening now

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