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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 120 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
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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: plane · staff · bark · kid · wax · mark · bulb · hand

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. staff — employees
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hand — help
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bulb — for light
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mark — a grade
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. kid — to tease
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mark — to pay attention

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