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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: spring · rock · wave · date · swing · suit · stick · trunk

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. suit — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. spring — of water
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rock — a stone
  13. spring — the season
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rock — music
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. swing — to play on
  21. suit — to fit
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — music
  24. spring — a coil

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