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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 · foot · branch · firm · band · wave · wake · mate

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — decided
  6. foot — a measure
  7. firm — steady
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a ring
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mate — a partner
  13. branch — a division
  14. wake — a trail
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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