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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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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: wax · bark · temple · deal · snap · can · straw · clip

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. clip — a video
  11. bark — to shout
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. clip — for paper
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. deal — to handle
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wax — to grow
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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