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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. race — a contest
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. content — the amount
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. saw — the tool
  8. squash — to crush
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. file — a document
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — a break
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — humankind
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. content — happy
  20. race — the arms race
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. squash — the sport
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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