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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 116 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 · dip · staff · mine · plane · wax · cue · mouse

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cue — a hint
  12. staff — a stick
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cue — for pool
  16. staff — employees
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. mine — an explosive

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