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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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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: kick · snap · mouse · wax · safe · straw · lie · squash

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — in football

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