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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: pop · lash · wax · bear · race · jam · temple · bark

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. race — the arms race
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. race — a contest
  4. pop — soda
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. race — humankind
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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