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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: last · mine · wave · suit · mark · rock · trunk · fine

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rock — music
  6. suit — clothes
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. mark — a trace
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. last — to go on
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. rock — a stone

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