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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. squash — the sport
  5. can — a tin
  6. hand — help
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. can — a tin
  9. object — a thing
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — from a university
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mine — for digging
  18. object — to protest
  19. squash — to crush
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. can — to be able to
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. object — an aim
  24. hand — in cards

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