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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. spring — a coil
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. march — the month
  13. spring — of water
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spring — the season
  20. march — music
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. march — the month
  23. pass — a permit
  24. safe — out of danger

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