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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
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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: trunk · wave · ball · clip · leaves · foot · board · wake

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wake — a trail
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. board — to get on
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. clip — for paper
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. clip — a video
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — a committee
  22. ball — a great time
  23. clip — to cut
  24. foot — the bottom

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