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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. firm — decided
  4. present — there
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. firm — steady
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wax — to grow
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. present — the time now
  23. kick — in football
  24. bark — to shout

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