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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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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: toast · wake · saw · branch · mug · kick · trunk · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. branch — a division
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. toast — bread
  8. mug — a cup
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wake — a trail
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kick — in football
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. saw — the tool

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