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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. kid — child
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kid — to tease
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — high quality
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fine — all right
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. chair — a leader
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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