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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: tube · wax · bank · arm · row · mug · pop · bark

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bank — for money
  5. bark — to shout
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. tube — the underground
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pop — soda
  15. pop — to visit
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bank — for money
  18. row — a line
  19. tube — a container
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mug — a face
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pop — music
  24. wax — in the ear

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