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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — a price
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ball — a great time
  17. key — in music
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. snap — to click
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. charge — in control
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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