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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: mark · wax · charge · ball · row · cue · straw · bark

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mark — a trace
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mark — a grade
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. charge — electricity
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. charge — in control
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ball — a great time
  24. charge — a price

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