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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cue · bark · wax · stem · mouse · key · lean · net

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. net — in sport
  3. lean — thin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. key — for a lock
  6. net — after costs
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. cue — a hint
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cue — for pool
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. net — for catching
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. lean — to rest against

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