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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: deal · safe · suit · wax · scale · bark · bowl · arm

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. wax — to grow
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. deal — to handle
  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