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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wax — to grow
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. board — to get on
  14. tube — a container
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lean — thin
  19. board — a committee
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. band — a ring
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. tube — in a tire

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