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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.

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: leaves · temple · bark · wake · lie · pitcher · wax · race

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. race — humankind
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wax — to grow
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. race — a contest
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bark — of a tree

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