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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. race — a contest
  9. race — the arms race
  10. stand — to bear
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. squash — the sport
  13. band — a music group
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. race — humankind
  18. bore — to drill
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bore — to tire
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mouse — for a computer

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