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

Word bank: tube · cell · snap · kick · safe · firm · nail · patient

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cell — in biology
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. firm — steady
  12. tube — a container
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. firm — a company
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. firm — decided
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. kick — in football
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cell — a phone
  23. tube — the underground
  24. snap — to click

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