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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.

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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: wave · ground · trunk · present · safe · pitcher · rush · march

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. march — the month
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — the time now
  9. ground — crushed
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. present — there
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. march — music
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. march — the month
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — a gift
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ground — a position
  24. wave — of the sea

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