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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.

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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: can · bark · racket · bound · kick · board · wax · staff

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. staff — employees
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bound — certain
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bound — obliged
  10. staff — a stick
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. can — a tin
  15. bark — to shout
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. board — a committee
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — tied together
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. board — to get on

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