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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 · chair · kick · snap · race · kid

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. kid — child
  4. kick — in football
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. race — a contest
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. kid — to tease
  14. snap — to click
  15. race — humankind
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chair — a leader

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