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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mug — a face
  8. content — happy
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. content — the amount
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. scale — in music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mug — a cup
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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