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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. track — a path
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. track — a song
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bark — to shout
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. swing — music
  16. track — to keep track
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. swing — in golf
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. swing — to play on
  24. trunk — of a tree

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