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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: bark · firm · wound · pass · wax · trunk · mate · cap

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. firm — a company
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. cap — of ice
  6. firm — steady
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mate — a friend
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cap — a hat
  22. firm — decided
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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