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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. rash — a series
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. shower — rain
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. press — newspapers
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bark — to shout
  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