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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 120 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: spring · rush · fall · swing · bark · wave · board · trunk

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. board — to get on
  6. fall — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a committee
  15. spring — of water
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fall — to drop
  20. swing — in golf
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. rush — a thrill

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