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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bark — to shout
  3. firm — a company
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. track — a song
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — to grow
  9. clip — a video
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. track — to keep track
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — a path
  24. cabinet — ministers

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