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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. present — there
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. present — the time now
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. snap — to click
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rash — a series
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. present — a gift

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