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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · bark · temple · straw · bound · bear · staff · dip

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. staff — employees
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bound — tied together
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. staff — a stick
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bound — certain
  24. dip — to dunk

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