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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · track · wave · trunk · bark · bound · bay · shower

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bark — to shout
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. track — a song
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bound — certain
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. track — to keep track
  17. shower — rain
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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