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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: court · bulb · wax · bark · cue · stick · row · spell

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cue — a hint
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. court — of a king
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wax — to grow
  11. spell — magic
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. cue — a signal
  17. court — for sport
  18. spell — letters
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — of law
  22. cue — for pool
  23. row — a line
  24. wax — for sculpting

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