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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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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: safe · wax · bark · stand · season · fork · rest · kick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wax — to grow
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. fork — in a road
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. rest — a break
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bark — to shout
  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