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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 · jam · pass · spell · fan · branch · foot · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — letters
  6. bark — to shout
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. spell — magic
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. branch — a division
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. wax — to grow
  24. branch — of a tree

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