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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wind — moving air
  14. snap — to click
  15. squash — the sport
  16. row — a line
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wind — moving air
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pit — a hole

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