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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. deal — to handle
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bark — to shout
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wax — to grow
  22. kick — in football
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — in the ear

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