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

Word bank: cabinet · bark · kick · wax · pitch · chair · arm · safe

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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 — of a tree
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. chair — a leader
  4. kick — in football
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. wax — to grow
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — to shout
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. pitch — completely
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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