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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bear — the animal
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. snap — to click
  10. cap — of ice
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — to crush
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cap — a lid
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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