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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: kick · suit · land · squash · kid · safe · band · current

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. squash — to crush
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. squash — the sport
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. current — of water
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — to fit
  12. land — a country
  13. kid — child
  14. suit — in cards
  15. current — happening now
  16. kid — to tease
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. kick — in football
  20. current — electric
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. land — to come down
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. squash — the vegetable

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