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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bear — the animal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bear — the animal
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — a permit

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