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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. root — of a plant
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. squash — the sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. sharp — clever
  10. squash — to crush
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — a box
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. root — of a word
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. root — the cause
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. chest — of your body
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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