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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. squash — the sport
  6. mate — a friend
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bound — certain
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — tied together
  14. row — a line
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — to handle
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bound — obliged
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. mine — for digging

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