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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: fine · mouse · bark · wax · foot · stand · saw · shower

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stand — to bear
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. fine — all right
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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