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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: wave · trunk · pop · face · mate · rock · bark · fan

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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 an elephant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mate — to breed
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pop — music
  6. face — to confront
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pop — soda
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. face — part of the head
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. rock — a stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pop — to visit
  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