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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · key · lie · kid · wax · bark · fan · capital

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kid — child
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. capital — money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a city
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fan — to cool the air

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