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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lean — thin
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a word
  7. fork — in a road
  8. squash — to crush
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. squash — the sport
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — the cause
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. root — of a plant
  24. fork — to eat with

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