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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.

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: safe · chest · temple · nail · mug · sharp · wound · pitch

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wound — an injury
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. pitch — completely
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mug — to rob
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. safe — out of danger

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