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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. can — a tin
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. squash — the sport
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. can — a tin
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — completely
  16. club — for dancing
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. squash — to crush
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. cold — an illness
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. plane — a tool

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