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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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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: kick · cabinet · tear · rock · band · sharp · pit · safe

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. band — a music group
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tear — to rip
  7. sharp — clever
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. tear — from crying
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. rock — music
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cabinet — ministers

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