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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — after costs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bear — the animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. wax — to grow
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wake — a trail

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