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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 120 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: lean · cold · bore · wave · trunk · fine · wake · arm

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lean — thin
  9. cold — not warm
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fine — high quality
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fine — all right
  22. cold — an illness
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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