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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: mug · bark · wake · chair · firm · can · file · wax

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. firm — a company
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. firm — decided
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. file — a tool
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. firm — steady
  20. file — a document
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. wax — to grow

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