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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tear — to rip
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. object — an aim
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fine — all right
  10. chest — a box
  11. object — a thing
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. chair — a leader
  14. object — to protest
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chest — of your body
  18. tear — from crying
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bark — to shout

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