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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wax — to grow
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. can — a tin
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. roll — a list
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wax — in the ear

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