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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.

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: nail · lean · mate · row · trunk · leaves · bark · wave

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lean — to bend
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mate — to breed
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. row — a line
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. mate — a friend
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lean — thin
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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