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

Word bank: bear · prune · wave · rest · wake · bark

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wake — a trail
  18. prune — to trim

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