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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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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: snap · hide · charge · kick · land · fall · safe · perch

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — ground
  7. fall — the season
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. charge — in control
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. land — to come down
  14. kick — in football
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — electricity
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. snap — to click
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. perch — the fish
  22. charge — a price
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fall — to drop

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