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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · wax · court · wake · bay · land · bark · deal

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wax — to grow
  4. object — a thing
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. deal — to handle
  7. court — of law
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. object — an aim
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. object — to protest
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. court — for sport
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. court — of a king
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wake — a trail

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