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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. squash — the sport
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. snap — to click
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fork — in a road
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. band — a music group
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fork — to eat with
  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