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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: rest · last · rush · wake · date · trunk · bulb · wave

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. last — final
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. last — finally
  7. last — to go on
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rest — a break
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rush — to hurry

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