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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pop — music
  4. squash — the sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — to crush
  9. game — a match
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pop — to visit
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. game — wild animals
  18. stand — to bear
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — soda
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. stand — for spectators

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