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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: capital · wave · hide · club · face · bark · prune · present

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. face — to point toward
  13. capital — money
  14. club — for golf
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. face — to confront
  17. present — a gift
  18. capital — a city
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. capital — a big letter

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