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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.

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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. drill — army training
  5. wound — an injury
  6. date — the fruit
  7. snap — to click
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — a practice
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. drill — the tool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. wound — an injury
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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