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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. face — part of the head
  6. capital — money
  7. chip — for betting
  8. march — the month
  9. squash — to crush
  10. march — music
  11. rash — a series
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to point toward
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. squash — the sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. capital — a city
  21. face — to confront
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chip — to eat
  24. saw — the tool

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