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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: wax · pit · hide · season · kick · lie · stand · bark

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kick — in football
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pit — a hole
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pit — in a race
  11. season — of the year
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stand — to bear
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lie — an untruth

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