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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. net — in sport
  9. bound — obliged
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bound — certain
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. net — for catching
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rest — a break
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. net — after costs
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wax — to grow

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