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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 116 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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. tear — from crying
  8. wound — an injury
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. plane — a tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tear — from crying
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. squash — the sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. chip — to eat
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. tear — to rip

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