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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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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: trunk · face · board · wave · band · cue · fan · spell

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. face — to point toward
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. face — to confront
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — a short time
  10. board — to get on
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cue — for pool
  13. spell — magic
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. band — a ring
  16. cue — a signal
  17. face — part of the head
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — letters
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. band — a music group
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cue — a hint

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