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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: wave · pitch · trunk · lean · shower · net · mug · fan

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lean — thin
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. net — for catching
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. net — in sport
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. shower — rain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitch — completely
  18. mug — a face
  19. lean — to bend
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mug — a cup
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lean — to rest against

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