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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: fine · bay · wound · trunk · chip · last · tube · wave

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chip — for betting
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. last — finally
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fine — all right
  17. tube — a container
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. chip — to eat
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. last — final

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