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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 124 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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hand — in cards
  3. squash — to crush
  4. face — part of the head
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. face — to point toward
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kid — child
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. row — to paddle
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. row — a line
  22. face — to confront
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — to tease

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