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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. key — the most important part
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — to grow
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. toast — bread
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. key — in music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pass — a permit
  16. key — for a lock
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. branch — a division
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pass — to spend time

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