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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: chip · shower · kick · wave · patient · kid · craft · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. craft — boats
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. kick — in football
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. shower — rain
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. chip — for betting
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — to eat
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. shower — to wash
  22. craft — a skill
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — with a leg

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