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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: plane · safe · tear · fan · calf · squash · kick · foot

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tear — from crying
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. foot — a measure
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. squash — to crush
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. tear — to rip
  12. plane — a tool
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. squash — the sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tear — from crying

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