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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: land · club · wax · fork · plane · bore · wound · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. land — ground
  4. club — a group
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. plane — an aircraft

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