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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: patient · race · safe · stick · pound · nail · cold · kick

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. race — the arms race
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. race — a contest
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. kick — in football
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. race — humankind
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cold — an illness
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pound — a weight
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cold — not warm

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