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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: bear · bass · wax · bark · race · safe · spell · board

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bass — the fish
  5. race — humankind
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bass — low music
  8. spell — magic
  9. race — the arms race
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — letters
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. board — a committee
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. board — to get on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. race — a contest
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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