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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: current · bulb · mate · fork · kick · cabinet · safe · wave

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. current — electric
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — a friend
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. fork — in a road
  24. cabinet — ministers

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