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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: leaves · season · bark · wave · nail · wake · rush · staff

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. season — in sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — employees
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. rush — hurry
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. season — of the year
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wake — a trail
  24. bark — to shout

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