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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · kick · wound · fan · safe · nail · fine · dip

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. kick — in football
  24. wound — an injury

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