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

Word bank: toast · safe · squash · pound · land · wave · ruler · season

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — ground
  3. pound — a weight
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. squash — to crush
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. land — to come down
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. toast — bread
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. land — a country

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