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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: drill · lean · face · mouse · present · track · bark · wax

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. face — to confront
  5. track — to keep track
  6. face — part of the head
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. track — a song
  9. drill — the tool
  10. face — to point toward
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. present — there
  19. lean — to bend
  20. wax — to grow
  21. track — a path
  22. lean — thin
  23. present — a gift
  24. mouse — for a computer

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