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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. staff — employees
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bark — to shout
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. staff — employees
  12. rest — what's left
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. staff — a stick
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rest — a break
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rest — what's left
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. dip — to sink

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