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

Word bank: kick · face · bark · cue · wax · suit · bear · kid

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. cue — a hint
  5. kick — in football
  6. cue — for pool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bark — to shout
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cue — a signal
  18. face — to confront
  19. kid — child
  20. bear — the animal
  21. kid — to tease
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kick — a thrill

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