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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · coach · mark · content · track · squash · prune · trunk

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. content — the amount
  3. track — a path
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mark — a trace
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. squash — to crush
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. content — happy
  17. track — to keep track
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mark — a grade
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. track — a song

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