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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bore — to tire
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lean — to bend
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. squash — the sport
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. chest — a box
  20. bore — to drill
  21. date — the fruit
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. chest — of your body

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