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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fall · squash · safe · pitcher · can · rash

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — to crush
  9. fall — to drop
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rash — hasty
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. rash — a series
  17. can — a tin
  18. squash — the sport

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