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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — the sport
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a ring
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. bass — low music
  18. squash — to crush
  19. content — the amount
  20. band — a music group
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. leaves — to go away

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