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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: stick · chest · face · safe · patient · kick · pound · pit

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — a box
  11. face — to confront
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. face — to point toward
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — a hole

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