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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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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 · deal · bark · trunk · pound · dip · straw · last

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wax — to grow
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. last — to go on
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — a weight
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. last — finally
  19. deal — to handle
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. last — final
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. deal — an agreement

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