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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 120 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: wound · club · lean · rest · trunk · rash · bark · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rest — a break
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rash — a series
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wound — an injury
  12. club — a group
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. club — for golf
  15. lean — thin
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. trunk — of a car

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