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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — a break
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. content — happy
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rest — what's left
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rest — what's left
  14. squash — to crush
  15. object — a thing
  16. content — the amount
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. safe — a strongbox

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