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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — magic
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lie — to recline
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. spell — letters
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fork — in a road
  24. chair — a professorship

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