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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 116 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: wax · chair · drill · perch · content · bark · calf · nail

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. chair — a leader
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. content — the amount
  17. bark — to shout
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. drill — army training
  20. content — happy
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wax — to grow

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