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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: charge · cabinet · fan · squash · safe · sharp · game · stick

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. game — wild animals
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. squash — the sport
  14. charge — a price
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a match
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — in control
  19. sharp — clever
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. charge — electricity
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. squash — to crush

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