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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.

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: kick · file · wave · spring · present · can · hand · trunk

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. kick — in football
  5. file — a line of people
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — a tin
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hand — help
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — the season
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. present — there
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. present — a gift
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. can — a tin
  24. file — a document

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