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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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. sharp — exactly
  4. kid — to tease
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. kid — child
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bound — certain
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bound — tied together
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bound — obliged
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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