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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. root — of a word
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tube — the underground
  6. root — of a plant
  7. press — a publisher
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. root — the cause
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. squash — to crush
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fine — all right
  17. hand — in cards
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. tube — a container
  21. foot — a measure
  22. fine — high quality
  23. press — to push
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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