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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: safe · race · bulb · bark · wax · perch · coach · kick

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bark — to shout
  3. kick — in football
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. race — humankind
  6. wax — to grow
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. race — a contest
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. perch — for a bird

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