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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · land · kick · safe · board · bear · stock · wax

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. land — a country
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. squash — the sport
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stock — shares
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. bear — the animal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. land — ground
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. stock — goods
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. land — to come down
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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