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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 116 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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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: bowl · snap · degree · safe · trunk · wave · prune · fork

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. degree — from a university
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. snap — to click
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. degree — an amount
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fork — in a road
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. fork — a garden tool

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