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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 · calf · wax · chest · branch · lean · kick · lie

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lean — thin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chest — a box
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chest — of your body
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wax — to grow
  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