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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: bay · rash · bulb · bark · hand · mouse · wax · suit

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. rash — a series
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — help
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — hasty
  22. suit — in cards
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. hand — in cards

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