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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: wave · trunk · rule · lash · can · foot · mate · fall

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fall — to drop
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. can — a tin
  10. rule — a law
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rule — government
  14. fall — to drop
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mate — to breed
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fall — the season
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mate — a friend

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