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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: firm · wax · pitch · band · bark · temple · bear · wound

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. firm — a company
  3. band — a ring
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. wax — to grow
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wound — an injury
  21. band — a music group
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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