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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. squash — to crush
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. bore — to tire
  6. shower — to wash
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bore — to drill
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. deal — to handle
  15. lean — thin
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. shower — rain
  18. lean — to bend
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. wound — an injury
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. squash — the sport

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