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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. dip — to sink
  3. pop — music
  4. rule — a law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wind — moving air
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — soda
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — for golf
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pop — to visit
  16. squash — the sport
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. club — a group
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rule — government

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