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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. degree — from a university
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. track — a song
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. stand — to bear
  10. club — for golf
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. club — a group
  18. can — to be able to
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — for dancing
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a path
  24. lie — to recline

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