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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. fork — in a road
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. kid — child
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pop — music
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. squash — to crush
  11. charge — electricity
  12. squash — the sport
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pop — soda
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. charge — in control
  21. stand — to bear
  22. charge — a price
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stand — for spectators

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