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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: wax · spring · bass · bark · chair · prune · present · safe

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — there
  3. bass — the fish
  4. present — a gift
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bass — low music
  7. chair — a leader
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. present — the time now
  12. bark — to shout
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. prune — the fruit

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