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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 120 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: bark · squash · foot · safe · tube · staff · wax · cell

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bark — to shout
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. staff — a stick
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cell — in biology
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — a container
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. staff — employees
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — a phone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. wax — for sculpting

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