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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bound — certain
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fall — the season
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bound — obliged

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