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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · stock · last · kick · mine · nail · stand · wound

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. kick — in football
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. last — to go on
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stock — shares
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. stock — goods
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — finally
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. last — final
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. safe — a strongbox

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