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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: track · rest · squash · bound · wax · bark · scale · rash

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rash — a series
  8. rest — what's left
  9. track — a song
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — a path
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rest — a break
  18. track — to keep track
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. scale — size or range
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. squash — the sport
  24. rash — hasty

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