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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. row — a line
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. shower — rain
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. toast — bread
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wax — to grow
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. shower — to wash

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