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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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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: squash · stick · leaves · trunk · cold · pass · wave · safe

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pass — a permit
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. cold — not warm
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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