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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: bark · wave · shower · coach · cell · ruler · plane · trunk

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cell — a phone
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cell — in biology
  19. shower — rain
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. plane — an aircraft

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