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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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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 · craft · kick · root · wound · patient · lean · racket

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. craft — a skill
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. root — the cause
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. craft — boats
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wound — an injury
  17. kick — in football
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. root — of a word
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. racket — a loud noise

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