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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: foot · safe · chip · kick · craft · cold · wave · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chip — for betting
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. craft — a skill
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. craft — boats
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — a measure
  17. cold — an illness
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kick — in football

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