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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. kick — in football
  6. rash — a series
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. root — the cause
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. present — a gift
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. present — the time now
  17. rash — hasty
  18. present — there
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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