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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: mug · chair · safe · nail · kick · patient · temple · kid

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — in football
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kid — child
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kid — to tease
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. chair — to sit on

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