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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: wound · content · plane · dip · bark · safe · cell · tube

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cell — in biology
  10. content — the amount
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. tube — the underground
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. dip — to sink
  15. plane — a tool
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bark — to shout
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cell — a phone
  21. wound — an injury
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. content — happy
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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