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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. clip — for paper
  7. clip — to cut
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. staff — employees
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. tube — a container
  14. ball — a dance
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. clip — a video
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. tube — the underground
  24. staff — a stick

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