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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bark — to shout
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. track — a song
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — to keep track
  23. mark — a trace
  24. track — a path

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