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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: stick · bark · squash · trunk · mine · wax · club · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bark — to shout
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. club — for golf
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. club — a group
  19. squash — the sport
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mine — for digging

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