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

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fine — all right
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. kid — child
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rash — a series
  14. pound — a weight
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kick — in football
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rash — hasty
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. wax — for sculpting

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