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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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bark — to shout
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bank — for money
  9. cue — a signal
  10. bat — the animal
  11. snap — to click
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bank — of a river
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bank — for money
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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