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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 116 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: mug · wax · bark · firm · wound · pop · leaves · bowl

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. firm — a company
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. pop — soda
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pop — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. firm — decided
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wound — an injury

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