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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
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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 · calf · straw · chair · wax · drill · field · lie

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lie — to recline
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. drill — a practice
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. chair — a leader
  13. field — farmland
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. wax — to grow
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  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