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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. chest — a box
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. drill — army training
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. rule — a law
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. rule — government
  18. rock — music
  19. drill — a practice
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. drill — the tool
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. rock — a stone

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