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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — a path
  4. wax — to grow
  5. band — a ring
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — a division
  12. dip — to sink
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. craft — boats
  19. track — to keep track
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. band — a music group
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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