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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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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 · dip · bowl · wave · trunk · content · club · chip

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. rest — what's left
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rest — a break
  18. content — happy
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. rest — what's left
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chip — in a computer

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