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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: firm · wound · chest · kick · safe · lean · court · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. firm — steady
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. lean — thin
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. firm — a company
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cue — a hint
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. kick — in football
  14. firm — decided
  15. chest — of your body
  16. wound — an injury
  17. court — for sport
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. chest — a box
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cue — a signal
  23. chest — of your body
  24. court — of a king

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