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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. pound — a weight
  8. cue — a signal
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — to crush
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — to tease
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cue — a hint
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — for pool
  24. leaves — of a tree

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