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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bark — to shout
  4. court — of law
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. court — for sport
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kick — in football
  11. staff — employees
  12. fall — the season
  13. wax — to grow
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — to drop
  24. court — of a king

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