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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: racket · suit · wax · key · clip · bay · tear · bark

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bark — to shout
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. tear — to rip
  7. key — in music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. tear — from crying
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. clip — a video
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. tear — from crying
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. clip — to cut
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. key — the most important part

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