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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. scale — in music
  6. squash — to crush
  7. mug — to rob
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mug — a face
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mug — a cup
  14. row — a line
  15. wind — moving air
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. sharp — clever
  18. row — to paddle
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wind — moving air
  24. safe — out of danger

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