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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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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: wave · mouse · stand · trunk · swing · tube · jam · bat

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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. stand — on your feet
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. swing — music
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. stand — to bear
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bat — for baseball

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