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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bark — to shout
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bass — the fish
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bass — low music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. mark — a trace
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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