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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: stand · spring · last · bark · row · wave · leaves · calf

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. last — to go on
  3. row — a line
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bark — to shout
  13. last — final
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. spring — of water
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — finally
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — 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