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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bass — the fish
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. squash — to crush
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a music group
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bass — low music
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. coach — a trainer

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