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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: cabinet · kid · game · safe · drill · race · lean · charge

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. drill — a practice
  6. charge — a price
  7. drill — the tool
  8. race — the arms race
  9. game — wild animals
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. race — humankind
  13. charge — in control
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. game — a match
  17. charge — electricity
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. drill — army training
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to bend
  22. race — a contest
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lean — thin

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