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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to bend
  5. can — a tin
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — thin
  24. mate — to breed

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