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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. suit — in cards
  3. track — a song
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — to grow
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. current — happening now
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — to keep track
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. track — a path
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — of water
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. current — electric
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bark — to shout

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