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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: trunk · jam · bear · dip · wave · staff · wake · lie

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bear — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. lie — to recline
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. staff — a stick
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. staff — employees
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. dip — to sink

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