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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.

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: trunk · bear · bank · march · dip · fan · club · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. club — a group
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. march — music
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bank — for money
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bank — for money
  22. club — for golf
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wake — a trail

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