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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. hand — in cards
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — in football
  16. net — for catching
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hand — help
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mate — a partner
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. net — after costs

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