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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · lie · safe · saw · chest · field · can · plane

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. plane — a tool
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. kick — in football
  7. can — to be able to
  8. field — for sport
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. field — a subject
  14. can — a tin
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. lie — to recline
  17. saw — the tool
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — farmland

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