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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: bark · safe · field · wake · leaves · season · lean · trunk

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. field — a subject
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. lean — to bend
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. season — of the year
  18. field — for sport
  19. bark — to shout
  20. season — in sport
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. field — farmland
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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