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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: deal · kick · pass · lean · stick · safe · land · chest

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. land — to come down
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. lean — to bend
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lean — thin
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. land — a country
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. land — ground

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