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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: plane · safe · straw · wind · bear · kick · squash · root

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wind — moving air
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bear — the animal
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. squash — to crush
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. root — of a word
  12. kick — in football
  13. plane — a tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. bear — the animal
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. wind — moving air
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — out of danger

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