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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: mark · land · spell · trunk · mug · coach · wave · file

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. land — ground
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. spell — a short time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. land — to come down
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mark — a trace
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mug — a cup
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — a grade
  16. file — a tool
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — a face
  24. file — a document

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