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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wave · bear · trunk · rash · hide · chest · roll · leaves

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. roll — a cake
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. chest — of your body
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bear — the animal
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bear — the animal
  16. chest — a box
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. roll — a list
  22. rash — a series
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. chest — of your body

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