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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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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: kick · wound · safe · calf · saw · fall · lie · nail

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kick — in football
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fall — to drop
  14. saw — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — the season
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wound — an injury
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lie — an untruth
  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