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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.

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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: charge · rock · wax · mark · field · bark · swing · plane

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. field — farmland
  4. rock — music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. swing — to play on
  10. field — for sport
  11. charge — in control
  12. swing — music
  13. field — a subject
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. charge — electricity
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — to grow
  21. swing — in golf
  22. charge — a price
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. mark — a trace

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