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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.

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: pitcher · chest · bark · safe · wound · scale · wax · bowl

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. scale — in music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. chest — a box
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. safe — a strongbox

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