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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 120 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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bark — to shout
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. band — a music group
  5. pass — a permit
  6. key — in music
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. craft — boats
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. key — the most important part
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a skill
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. band — a ring

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