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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fine — all right
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. cap — a lid
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. date — the fruit
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — for a computer

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