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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rash — hasty
  7. perch — the fish
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. club — a group
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to drill
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. club — for golf
  21. bore — to tire
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — a series

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