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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mark — a trace
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. can — a tin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. hand — in cards
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wound — an injury
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. can — a tin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — to be able 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