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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. march — the month
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bark — to shout
  13. game — a match
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. key — in music
  17. march — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. key — the most important part
  20. march — the month
  21. key — for a lock
  22. game — wild animals
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mug — a face

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