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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · date · net · bark · rest · mine · coach · safe

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. date — the fruit
  7. net — in sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. wax — to grow
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. date — on the calendar

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