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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. staff — employees
  3. clip — a video
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. rash — a series
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — hasty
  15. clip — to cut
  16. staff — employees
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. mine — for digging
  19. clip — for paper
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. squash — to crush

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