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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. wake — a trail
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — a price
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bark — to shout
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wax — to grow
  22. charge — electricity
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wax — for sculpting

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