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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — in cards
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. ground — a position
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. suit — to fit
  7. present — the time now
  8. suit — clothes
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ground — the earth
  12. march — the month
  13. march — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wax — to grow
  16. march — the month
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — crushed
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. coach — a trainer

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