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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. squash — the sport
  3. band — a music group
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cue — for pool
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. roll — a cake
  9. root — of a plant
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. band — a ring
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. root — the cause
  16. cue — a hint
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. squash — to crush
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. root — of a word
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. roll — a list

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