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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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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: trunk · mouse · wake · wave · stick · fall · content · shower

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. shower — to wash
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fall — to drop
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. content — happy

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