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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 · bay · sharp · game · lie · pound · bark · roll

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. roll — a cake
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a list
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — clever
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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