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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
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: bore · wax · chair · mark · lie · band · pass · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. band — a music group
  10. band — a ring
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lie — to recline
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pass — a permit
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. pass — to spend time

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