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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. swing — in golf
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. swing — music
  12. fall — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. squash — the sport
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — to drop
  17. court — of a king
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. swing — to play on
  22. court — for sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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