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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. root — of a word
  4. kick — in football
  5. root — of a plant
  6. season — in sport
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. root — the cause
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. season — of the year
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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