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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: cue · pit · charge · lean · cap · cabinet · safe · kid

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. charge — in control
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. pit — a hole
  7. cap — a lid
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kid — child
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lean — thin
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lean — to bend
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kid — to tease

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