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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: snap · trunk · wave · mate · wake · net · bulb · calf

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. snap — to click
  6. net — in sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wake — a trail
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. net — after costs
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. mate — a friend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. net — for catching
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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