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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: hide · safe · cold · kick · straw · can · suit · charge

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. charge — a price
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. suit — clothes
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. suit — to fit
  7. charge — electricity
  8. can — a tin
  9. charge — in control
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. can — a tin
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — an illness
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. cold — not warm
  22. can — to be able to
  23. suit — in cards
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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