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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. shower — to wash
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fine — all right
  11. object — a thing
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. object — to protest
  14. shower — rain
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. object — an aim
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pitcher — a jug

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