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

Word bank: bark · plane · rock · safe · perch · wave · squash · mine

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mine — for digging
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. squash — to crush
  6. perch — the fish
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. squash — the sport
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rock — a stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — an explosive

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