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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: bark · bass · can · board · lean · spell · wax · fine

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. can — a tin
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fine — all right
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. board — to get on
  20. lean — thin
  21. board — a committee
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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