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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: coach · current · trunk · swing · lean · mark · hide · bark

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. current — of water
  6. lean — thin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — to play on
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. current — electric
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bark — to shout
  20. current — happening now
  21. mark — a trace
  22. swing — music
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bark — of a tree

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