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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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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: cabinet · safe · craft · charge · kick · tear

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. craft — boats
  5. tear — from crying
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. charge — a price
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. tear — from crying
  12. charge — in control
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. craft — a skill
  15. tear — to rip
  16. charge — electricity
  17. kick — in football
  18. craft — a handicraft

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