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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rule — government
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rule — a law
  11. rash — a series
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bass — low music
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. safe — out of danger

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