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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: bark · squash · stem · wound · roll · wax · safe · pitch

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. roll — a list
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bark — to shout
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stem — to come from
  16. pitch — completely
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. squash — to crush

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