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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rule — government
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. squash — to crush
  10. rule — a law
  11. chest — a box
  12. rock — music
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — music
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. march — the month
  18. rock — a stone
  19. squash — the sport
  20. march — the month
  21. rush — hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bulb — of a plant

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