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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: sharp · trunk · chair · mug · bark · lash · wave · season

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. sharp — clever
  3. mug — to rob
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bark — to shout
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. season — in sport
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mug — a face
  23. season — of the year
  24. wave — with your hand

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