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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ground — crushed
  4. toast — bread
  5. pit — in a race
  6. court — of a king
  7. wax — to grow
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. pit — a hole
  12. court — of law
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — to shout
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. court — for sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ground — a position
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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