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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. squash — the sport
  9. drill — a practice
  10. band — a ring
  11. squash — to crush
  12. suit — to fit
  13. band — a music group
  14. court — of a king
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. court — for sport
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mate — a friend

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