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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.

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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. root — of a word
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. wax — to grow
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mark — a grade
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. root — the cause
  19. mark — a trace
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — in football
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. club — a group

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