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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 120 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: wax · bank · wake · bark · pound · season · deal · trunk

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wax — to grow
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. season — in sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bank — for money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. season — of the year
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bank — of a river
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pound — a weight
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. deal — to handle

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