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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bark — to shout
  4. file — a tool
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wax — to grow
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. file — a document
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bass — low music
  22. rash — a series
  23. bear — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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