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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. firm — decided
  5. row — a line
  6. wax — to grow
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. row — to paddle
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. firm — steady
  21. bark — to shout
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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