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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: wax · bound · wound · lash · cue · cabinet · bark · pop

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pop — soda
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bound — obliged
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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