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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bound — certain
  11. wax — to grow
  12. roll — a list
  13. bound — obliged
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. club — for golf
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bore — to drill
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bore — to tire
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — all right

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