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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · bark · bass · wax · arm · stem · fan · foot

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bass — low music
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bass — the fish
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stem — to come from
  24. fan — a supporter

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