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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: pop · charge · foot · wake · safe · kick · cabinet · kid

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. charge — electricity
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. charge — in control
  8. pop — soda
  9. foot — a measure
  10. kick — in football
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. charge — a price
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pop — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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