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

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wound — an injury
  9. swing — to play on
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. swing — in golf
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. swing — music
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. kick — in football
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. suit — to fit
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. suit — in cards
  22. chair — a leader
  23. suit — clothes
  24. patient — a sick person

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