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

Word bank: patient · mate · ground · nail · safe · kick · cue · cold

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cold — an illness
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cold — not warm
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a friend
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ground — a position
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — crushed
  20. kick — in football
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cold — the Cold War

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