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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bulb · object · ruler · game · pit · rash · wax

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. object — to protest
  5. rash — a series
  6. object — a thing
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. game — a match
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — an aim
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pit — in a race
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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