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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 116 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: kick · wave · rash · stand · saw · bark · ruler · trunk

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kick — in football
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. stand — to bear
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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