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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 116 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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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: kick · straw · stick · cabinet · safe · snap · fine · stand

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fine — all right
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. snap — to click
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — in football
  24. straw — a straw man

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