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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: rash · mouse · wound · bay · bark · rest · cell · wave

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rest — a break
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. rash — a series
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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