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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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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: lean · bark · cell · nail · bowl · wave · board · wake

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cell — in biology
  11. wake — a trail
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — a committee
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. board — to get on

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