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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. object — an aim
  5. bat — the animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bank — for money
  15. bear — the animal
  16. object — to protest
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — to bear
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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