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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stand — to bear
  3. squash — to crush
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. last — finally
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. last — final
  8. swing — music
  9. scale — in music
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. squash — the sport
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. last — to go on
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. swing — to play on
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. scale — size or range
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lash — an eyelash

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