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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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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. mug — a face
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mug — a cup
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. safe — out of danger
  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