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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: snap · bowl · bark · lean · chest · safe · date · wave

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. snap — to click
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bark — to shout
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chest — a box

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