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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: kick · file · nail · content · wave · leaves · wake · trunk

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. nail — for a hammer
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. content — happy
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. content — the amount
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. file — a line of people
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — a trail
  21. kick — in football
  22. file — a tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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