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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: shower · wave · bear · coach · bound · firm · trunk · calf

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bound — certain
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. firm — a company
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bear — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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