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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bark — to shout
  4. club — a group
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for golf
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. net — for catching
  9. wax — to grow
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bear — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. rash — a series
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rash — hasty

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