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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: ball · pop · arm · wave · fan · stem · hide · trunk

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a dance
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pop — music
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stem — to come from
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a great time
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. fan — a supporter

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