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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 116 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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468
Word bank
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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. content — the amount
  4. capital — money
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. squash — to crush
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. capital — a city
  12. wake — a trail
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — happy
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. wind — moving air
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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