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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 · perch · safe · stem · prune · track · cue · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. track — a song
  5. stem — to come from
  6. prune — to trim
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bark — to shout
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cue — for pool
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — to grow
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — a signal
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. track — a path

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