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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. last — to go on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. last — final
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. squash — to crush
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. last — finally
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rush — hurry
  24. leaves — to go away

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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