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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. object — to protest
  4. band — a music group
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. band — a ring
  9. chip — to eat
  10. object — a thing
  11. chest — a box
  12. bark — to shout
  13. current — electric
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. current — of water
  20. object — an aim
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. current — happening now
  24. wax — to grow

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