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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pop — music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pop — to visit
  6. race — humankind
  7. bark — to shout
  8. race — the arms race
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. craft — a skill
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. race — a contest
  21. pop — soda
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. craft — boats
  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