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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: wax · ground · trunk · racket · bark · bound · lean · hide

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. ground — a position
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — certain
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ground — crushed
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bark — to shout

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