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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.

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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.

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: date · sharp · wound · present · bark · wax · hide · safe

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — a gift
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. date — the fruit
  13. present — there
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. sharp — clever

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