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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: bark · track · wax · coach · mug · court · shower · cabinet

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. track — to keep track
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — to grow
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. track — a path
  13. shower — rain
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — of law
  16. mug — to rob
  17. track — a song
  18. mug — a cup
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. court — for sport
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mug — a face
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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