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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: land · safe · kid · kick · cabinet · shower · can · key

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. key — for a lock
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. shower — rain
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. land — a country
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. land — ground
  11. key — the most important part
  12. kid — to tease
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. can — a tin
  15. land — to come down
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. key — in music
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kid — child

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