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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: track · trunk · foot · wave · prune · hand · plane · bound

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. hand — help
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. prune — to trim
  7. hand — in cards
  8. track — a path
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bound — obliged
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. track — a song
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bound — certain

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