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

Word bank: net · kick · safe · row · firm · cap · cabinet · wave

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. net — for catching
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. kick — in football
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a line
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a lid
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — a company
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — steady
  22. cap — of ice
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cap — a hat

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