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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bear · pop · kick · safe · land · season · lean · squash

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. land — a country
  3. land — to come down
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lean — thin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — in football
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. bear — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. pop — soda
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pop — music
  19. season — in sport
  20. lean — to bend
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bear — the animal

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