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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 120 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 · hide · pop · saw · bark · charge · nail · board

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bark — to shout
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pop — to visit
  8. charge — electricity
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. charge — a price
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pop — music
  14. board — to get on
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — soda
  18. board — a committee
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. hide — to keep secret

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