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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: trunk · lie · content · plane · bass · wave · present · mate

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. content — the amount
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. present — a gift
  5. content — happy
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mate — a friend
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mate — to breed
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bass — low music
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — of the sea

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