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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: fork · shower · season · firm · trunk · wave · bear · temple

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. firm — decided
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — in sport
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. shower — rain
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. firm — steady
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — of the year
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fork — in a road

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