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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: rock · cue · mark · spell · wax · bark · can · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cue — for pool
  8. can — a tin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. spell — magic
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rock — music
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. rest — a break
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. spell — letters
  20. rest — what's left
  21. can — a tin
  22. mark — a grade
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bark — to shout

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