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

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. club — a group
  8. cell — in biology
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. present — there
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. mine — for digging
  18. present — the time now
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — for golf
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wax — to grow
  23. club — for dancing
  24. cell — in a prison

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