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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: current · bark · wax · staff · jam · squash · wound · root

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. root — of a word
  4. current — happening now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. staff — employees
  12. current — of water
  13. squash — the sport
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — electric
  20. squash — to crush
  21. root — the cause
  22. staff — a stick
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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