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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: safe · cap · snap · plane · pitcher · kid · kick · temple

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to click
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cap — a lid
  16. kick — in football
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cap — a hat
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. kid — to tease
  22. cap — of ice
  23. plane — a tool
  24. kid — child

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