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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: kid · can · date · sharp · press · charge · lie · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. press — to push
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. sharp — clever
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. charge — in control
  7. press — a publisher
  8. kid — to tease
  9. press — newspapers
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. can — a tin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. kid — child
  17. charge — a price
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. charge — electricity
  23. date — the fruit
  24. sharp — with an edge

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