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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rash — a series
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. firm — decided
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bark — to shout
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. firm — a company
  23. rush — hurry
  24. wax — for sculpting

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