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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: wake · trunk · bass · race · bank · roll · nail · wave

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. race — humankind
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. race — a contest
  5. bass — low music
  6. bank — of a river
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wake — a trail
  10. roll — a list
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bank — for money
  14. race — the arms race
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bank — for money
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bass — the fish
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wake — before a funeral

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