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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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 vegetable
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. charge — in control
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. charge — a price
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. tube — a container
  19. charge — electricity
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. squash — the sport
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fork — in a road

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