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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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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: object · charge · bowl · lean · field · stick · safe · kid

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. object — a thing
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kid — child
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. field — a subject
  12. object — an aim
  13. lean — to bend
  14. field — farmland
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. charge — electricity
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kid — to tease
  24. object — to protest

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