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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: leaves · craft · wax · swing · stick · rest · bark · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. swing — to play on
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bark — to shout
  7. swing — in golf
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rest — a break
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. swing — music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. craft — boats
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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