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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.

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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 · current · cabinet · safe · firm · bat · pound · staff

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. firm — steady
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. current — of water
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. pound — a weight
  11. kick — in football
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. firm — decided
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. staff — a stick
  21. firm — a company
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bat — the animal

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