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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wax — to grow
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. band — a music group
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — of a tree

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