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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. foot — a measure
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wax — to grow
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. race — a contest
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. race — humankind
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. content — the amount
  24. safe — out of danger

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