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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · ball · pass · wave · bulb · scale · rest · lie

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. pass — a permit
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rest — a break
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lie — to recline
  15. scale — size or range
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. scale — in music

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