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

Word bank: wake · jam · swing · shower · fan · date · trunk · bark

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wake — a trail
  4. swing — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. swing — in golf
  15. shower — rain
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. bark — to shout
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. shower — to wash
  24. fan — to cool the air

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