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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. board — to get on
  5. bound — obliged
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. tube — a container
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cap — of ice
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bound — certain
  14. tube — the underground
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. cap — a lid
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cap — a hat
  20. board — a committee
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wax — to grow

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