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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.

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: scale · mug · bark · club · lie · net · wax · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. net — for catching
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wax — to grow
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mug — a cup
  8. net — after costs
  9. scale — size or range
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — to recline
  15. roll — a list
  16. club — a group
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — in sport
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — for golf
  23. mug — a face
  24. club — for dancing

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