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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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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: kid · wound · bowl · rest · wax · bark · safe · spring

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — the season
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. spring — of water
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. kid — child
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. rest — a break
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wound — an injury

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