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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: bass · wave · fork · fine · face · fall · rush · trunk

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fine — all right
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bass — the fish
  15. face — to point toward
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bass — low music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fork — in a road
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fall — the season

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