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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: safe · lean · bulb · stand · kid · field · wax · lash

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. field — a subject
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stand — to bear
  15. kid — child
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. wax — to grow
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lean — to bend
  24. stand — for spectators

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