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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · bowl · deal · foot · hand · coach · key · wax

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bark — to shout
  5. key — in music
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. key — the most important part
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. wax — to grow
  24. deal — to handle

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