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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. snap — to click
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — in cards
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. suit — clothes
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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