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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: bark · wax · hide · pop · arm · mug · trunk · bulb

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mug — a face
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mug — a cup
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bark — to shout
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mug — to rob
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — music
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. pop — to visit

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