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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: scale · stock · hide · bark · rush · wax

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. scale — size or range
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stock — shares
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stock — goods

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