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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bark · key · mark · cell · field · wax · mug · bore

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cell — a phone
  3. mug — a cup
  4. field — a subject
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. key — the most important part
  11. field — farmland
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bark — to shout
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mug — a face
  16. bore — to tire
  17. key — in music
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. field — for sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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