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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: stem · squash · wax · file · craft · bark · fork · band

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. file — a document
  10. band — a ring
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wax — to grow
  14. file — a line of people
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. craft — boats
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. band — a music group
  24. bark — to shout

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