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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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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: trunk · leaves · rash · row · kick · wave · bay · chip

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. chip — for betting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. rash — a series
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rash — hasty
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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