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

Word bank: root · tear · swing · season · cue · safe · lean · kick

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cue — a hint
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lean — to bend
  10. tear — to rip
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. swing — music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. root — of a word
  15. kick — in football
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. swing — in golf
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. cue — for pool
  21. season — of the year
  22. swing — to play on
  23. lean — thin
  24. cue — a signal

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