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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · perch · nail · wax · bank · land · prune · staff

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bark — to shout
  3. land — ground
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bank — of a river
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. staff — employees
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bank — for money
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. staff — employees
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. perch — for a bird

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