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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 124 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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kid — child
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — help
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. suit — in cards
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rest — what's left
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rest — a break
  22. suit — to fit
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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