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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tube — a container
  3. squash — the sport
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. object — a thing
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tube — the underground
  18. squash — to crush
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. mate — a partner
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — an aim

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