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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 116 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: wax · fall · kick · cue · deal · straw · trunk · safe

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cue — for pool
  3. cue — a signal
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cue — a hint
  7. fall — the season
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — to handle
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — to grow
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wax — in the ear

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