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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 · safe · coach · chip · sharp · kick · jam · cell

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chip — to eat
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — of your body
  10. kick — in football
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chest — a box
  14. sharp — clever
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. kick — a thrill

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