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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. current — happening now
  4. saw — the tool
  5. current — of water
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. sharp — clever
  8. object — to protest
  9. wax — to grow
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. current — electric
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chair — a leader
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. scale — in music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — size or range

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