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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to click
  5. cue — a hint
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. cold — not warm
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. face — part of the head
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. rock — music
  15. squash — the sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. cold — an illness
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bowl — a football final

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