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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. charge — in control
  4. stem — to come from
  5. drill — a practice
  6. charge — a price
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. can — a tin
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. charge — electricity
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. wax — for sculpting

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