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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 · lie · land · chip · trunk · band · rush · calf

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. land — a country
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a ring
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rush — hurry
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. band — a music group
  14. lie — to recline
  15. land — ground
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chip — to eat
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. band — a rubber band

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