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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: fork · wave · chest · mug · trunk · last · bowl · tube

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. tube — the underground
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chest — a box
  4. fork — in a road
  5. last — final
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. tube — a container
  10. mug — to rob
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mug — a face
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. last — finally
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. last — to go on
  23. chest — of your body
  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