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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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. last — final
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. last — finally
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. mine — for digging
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bark — to shout

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