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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: kid · can · race · rest · ruler · charge · hide · safe

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. charge — electricity
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. charge — a price
  10. race — humankind
  11. kid — child
  12. can — a tin
  13. race — a contest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. kid — to tease
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. charge — in control
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. race — the arms race

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