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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
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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 · scale · stem · trunk · track · spring · straw · squash

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. spring — a coil
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. squash — the sport
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. scale — size or range
  17. track — a song
  18. stem — to come from
  19. squash — to crush
  20. spring — of water
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. spring — the season

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