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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 124 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rock — music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. object — an aim
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. game — a match
  11. object — a thing
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. object — to protest
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bark — to shout
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. sharp — clever
  23. rock — a stone
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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