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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: suit · track · saw · wind · pit · bark · wax · temple

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. suit — to fit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pit — a hole
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pit — in a race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a path
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — a song
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — the tool

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