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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: cell · leaves · ground · stand · last · wave · trunk · wake

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. ground — a position
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in biology
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stand — to bear
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — a trail
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wake — before a funeral

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