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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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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: bark · rush · key · mark · stock · leaves · wax · arm

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rush — hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bark — to shout
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rush — to hurry

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