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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: cue · club · wax · bay · mine · trunk · arm · bark

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cue — for pool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. club — a group
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cue — a signal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. club — for golf
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. club — for dancing
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wax — in the ear

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