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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — in music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cold — not warm
  12. charge — in control
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. key — for a lock
  15. key — the most important part
  16. charge — a price
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. charge — electricity
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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