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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wax — to grow
  5. shower — rain
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bank — for money
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bank — for money
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. court — of a king
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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