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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 · game · plane · foot · net · prune · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — for catching
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. plane — a tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — wild animals
  16. net — in sport
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. foot — a measure
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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