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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: trunk · wave · key · content · hand · leaves · drill · object

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. key — in music
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — an aim
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. drill — army training
  10. content — the amount
  11. drill — the tool
  12. object — a thing
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. drill — a practice
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. content — happy
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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