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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 120 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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. squash — the sport
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. chest — a box
  5. dip — to sink
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. fork — in a road
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. band — a ring
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — of your body
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. band — a music group

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