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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: can · trunk · wave · fall · bank · land · spring · ground

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. ground — the earth
  5. land — to come down
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. fall — the season
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — the season
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. fall — to drop
  16. can — to be able to
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. fall — to drop
  20. can — a tin
  21. spring — of water
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ground — a position

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