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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: clip · current · prune · bark · mark · foot · wax · rash

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. current — happening now
  3. foot — a measure
  4. current — of water
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rash — a series
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. clip — a video
  14. prune — to trim
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mark — a grade
  20. prune — to trim
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — electric
  24. rash — on the skin

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