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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: dip · mark · lie · rush · trunk · ball · wave · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. mark — a grade
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rush — hurry
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — to recline
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ball — a dance
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. trunk — of a car

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