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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: wind · lean · spell · board · bark · wave · present · object

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lean — to bend
  4. present — the time now
  5. object — an aim
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. present — a gift
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. object — to protest
  10. wind — moving air
  11. object — a thing
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. bark — to shout
  17. lean — thin
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. present — there
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spell — magic

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