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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 · stock · ball · lean · safe · wax · bore · bark

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — child
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bark — to shout
  15. stock — shares
  16. ball — a great time
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. lean — thin
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bore — to tire

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