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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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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. craft — boats
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bass — low music
  11. kick — in football
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. suit — in cards
  22. game — wild animals
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bass — the fish

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