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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lean — thin
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pass — a permit
  7. last — final
  8. band — a ring
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a music group
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mug — a cup
  16. squash — the sport
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mug — a face
  19. last — to go on
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. last — finally
  23. mug — to rob
  24. pass — to succeed

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