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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: wound · bear · trunk · bay · dip · wave · cabinet · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bear — the animal
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bay — a horse colour

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