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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 120 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: pop · lie · bay · bark · net · bear · chest · wax

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pop — music
  14. net — after costs
  15. chest — a box
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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