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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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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 · chip · last · ground · bay · wax · safe · squash

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. squash — the sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. last — final
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kick — in football
  19. last — to go on
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. ground — the earth
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. last — finally

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