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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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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. prune — to trim
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. prune — to trim
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — a leader

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