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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: trunk · wax · mark · bark · bear · season · stick · perch

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. season — in sport
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bear — the animal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. perch — the fish
  22. season — of the year
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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