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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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Word bank
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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: rush · ground · club · present · chest · bear · kick · safe

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kick — in football
  3. club — a group
  4. present — the time now
  5. club — for dancing
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rush — hurry
  8. ground — crushed
  9. club — for golf
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chest — a box
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. present — there
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bear — the animal
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. ground — a position
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bear — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. safe — out of danger

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