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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · bank · trunk · wave · lash · last · track · spell

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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. track — a song
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. last — to go on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. track — a path
  9. bank — of a river
  10. last — final
  11. track — to keep track
  12. spell — magic
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. spell — a short time
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. last — finally
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. spell — letters
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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