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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — army training
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rash — a series
  6. mark — a trace
  7. squash — to crush
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. land — to come down
  12. can — to be able to
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — hasty
  15. land — ground
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — the tool
  18. squash — the sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. land — a country
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. can — a tin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. squash — the vegetable

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