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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. foot — a measure
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. craft — boats
  8. snap — to click
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. squash — to crush
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. face — to confront
  21. face — to point toward
  22. squash — the sport
  23. craft — a skill
  24. safe — a strongbox

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