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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. perch — the fish
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. mine — for digging
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kick — with a leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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