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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: squash · wave · spring · snap · ruler · safe · present · cold

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. squash — the sport
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. spring — of water
  6. squash — to crush
  7. present — there
  8. spring — the season
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cold — an illness
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. present — the time now
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. present — a gift
  20. spring — a coil
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. snap — to click
  24. cold — not warm

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