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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. pass — a permit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — thin
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. face — to point toward
  17. lean — to bend
  18. face — to confront
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. game — a match
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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