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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — rain
  10. fine — all right
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. club — a group
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bark — to shout
  19. board — to get on
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. board — a committee
  22. club — for dancing
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. shower — to wash

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