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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. lean — thin
  16. ball — a dance
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a great time
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. roll — a list
  24. wax — to grow

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