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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.

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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: lean · wax · safe · spell · hand · calf · patient · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. hand — in cards
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. land — to come down
  11. spell — magic
  12. lean — thin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. land — ground
  16. lean — to bend
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — letters
  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