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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ground — crushed
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a ring
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. game — wild animals
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. game — a match
  18. ground — a position
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rash — a series
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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