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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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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 · deal · ball · pound · trunk · fall · shower · bowl

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. pound — a weight
  13. shower — rain
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ball — a dance
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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