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

Word bank: ruler · nail · swing · pop · deal · calf · wax · safe

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — in golf
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wax — to grow
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pop — soda
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. swing — music

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