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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. dip — to sink
  7. drill — a practice
  8. kid — child
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. last — final
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. drill — army training
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. drill — the tool
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kid — to tease
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — to crush
  24. dip — a sauce

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