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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: present · chest · track · trunk · lash · ground · wave · plane

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. plane — a tool
  5. present — a gift
  6. chest — a box
  7. present — the time now
  8. track — a song
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. present — there

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