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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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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 · leaves · mug · shower · wake · track · sharp · band

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. band — a music group
  3. mug — a face
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. track — a song
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. shower — rain
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mug — a cup
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. mug — to rob
  19. sharp — clever
  20. shower — to wash
  21. band — a ring
  22. wake — a trail
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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