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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: content · bark · wax · foot · safe · band · coach · plane

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a music group
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. foot — a measure
  9. wax — to grow
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — happy
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bark — to shout
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. band — a ring
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. plane — a tool
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. wax — in the ear

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