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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.

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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: bark · rest · game · calf · wax · fork · current · safe

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — of water
  8. fork — in a road
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rest — what's left
  12. game — wild animals
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — a match
  20. rest — a break
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. calf — of the leg

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