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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. wax — to grow
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bat — the animal
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. kick — in football
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. tube — the underground
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. tube — a container

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