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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: leaves · key · wave · trunk · roll · pitcher · field · dip

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. field — farmland
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. field — a subject
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. roll — a list
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. field — for sport
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. leaves — to go away

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