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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: trunk · drill · fall · rock · arm · cell · face · wave

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. drill — the tool
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rock — music
  9. face — to confront
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — part of the head
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. drill — army training
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wave — with your hand

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