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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: bark · tear · wax · present · plane · chair · mug · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. tear — from crying
  3. present — the time now
  4. mug — a cup
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. net — for catching
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. tear — from crying
  10. wax — to grow
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. tear — to rip
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. present — there
  19. plane — a tool
  20. present — a gift
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. bark — to shout

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