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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rule — a law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. lean — thin
  9. rule — government
  10. chip — for betting
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kid — to tease
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — to eat
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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