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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: roll · wave · stem · lash · bark · track · season · tube

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bark — to shout
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. track — to keep track
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. track — a path
  11. tube — the underground
  12. track — a song
  13. season — of the year
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. tube — a container
  17. stem — to come from
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. season — in sport
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. stem — a stem cell

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