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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. board — a committee
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. board — to get on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bear — the animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wax — for sculpting

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