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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a cup
  16. pit — in a race
  17. kick — in football
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mug — a face
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stem — to come from

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