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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · snap · object · race · bark · bore · ball · scale

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. race — a contest
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. race — humankind
  6. ball — a great time
  7. object — to protest
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wax — to grow
  13. snap — to click
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — a thing
  18. race — the arms race
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — size or range
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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