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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. cap — a lid
  3. game — a match
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cap — a hat
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cap — of ice
  20. game — wild animals
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. safe — out of danger

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