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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. can — a tin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bear — the animal
  9. foot — a measure
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. chair — a leader
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. tube — a container
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. can — to be able to
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bear — the animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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