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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: fall · bark · hide · snap · trunk · mate · leaves · rash

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fall — the season
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rash — a series
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. snap — to click
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fall — to drop
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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