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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 116 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: saw · wound · track · key · trunk · bat · wave · rock

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bat — the animal
  3. rock — a stone
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. track — a song
  6. key — in music
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. key — the most important part
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rock — music
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. wound — an injury
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — for a lock
  24. wound — an injury

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