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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: chest · content · mug · kick · safe · vault · racket · patient

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. content — happy
  5. chest — a box
  6. mug — a face
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. mug — to rob
  10. chest — of your body
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mug — a cup
  15. kick — in football
  16. chest — of your body
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — the amount
  23. vault — a safe
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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