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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: hand · fine · kick · chest · pop · safe · current · deal

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. current — happening now
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fine — high quality
  11. current — electric
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — help
  14. chest — a box
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. current — of water
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pop — soda
  21. hand — in cards
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — in football
  24. pop — music

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