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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · spring · face · roll · pound · lash · trunk · wave

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. face — to point toward
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spring — of water
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. face — part of the head
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. spring — the season
  18. rock — music
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. face — to confront
  23. roll — a list
  24. trunk — of a tree

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