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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cap — a hat
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wind — moving air
  6. present — there
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — the tool
  9. squash — the sport
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cue — a signal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. craft — a skill
  16. cue — for pool
  17. cue — a hint
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — a lid
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. present — the time now
  23. craft — boats
  24. drill — army training

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