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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 120 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: mine · kick · bark · fine · wax · trunk · root · deal

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. root — of a word
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. root — the cause
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. deal — to handle
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bark — to shout
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fine — a penalty

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