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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: safe · game · rush · sharp · press · calf · leaves · charge

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. charge — electricity
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. game — wild animals
  9. sharp — clever
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. press — to push
  12. charge — in control
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. charge — a price
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. press — newspapers
  24. sharp — exactly

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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