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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. present — a gift
  3. fall — to drop
  4. present — the time now
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fall — the season
  7. can — a tin
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — to confront
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — to point toward
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wax — to grow
  20. can — a tin
  21. present — there
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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