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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 120 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rest — a break
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ball — a great time
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bass — low music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. kick — in football
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bass — the fish
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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