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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: stand · kid · can · cabinet · leaves · game · safe · mine

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kid — to tease
  3. game — wild animals
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. can — a tin
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stand — to bear
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. kid — child
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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