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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 120 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: lean · stick · safe · kick · mate · fan · pound · game

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. lean — thin
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. lean — to bend
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. game — a match
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. mate — to breed
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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