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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rash — a series
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wake — a trail
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. hand — in cards
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cue — for pool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. hand — help
  22. cue — a signal
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — hasty

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