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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: wax · track · bark · coach · cabinet · wind · can · ball

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. track — a song
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. ball — a great time
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bark — to shout
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — a path
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a dance
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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