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

Word bank: suit · craft · squash · pit · kid · straw · band · safe

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. band — a ring
  3. kid — to tease
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. squash — to crush
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. suit — clothes
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. craft — boats
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. suit — to fit
  17. pit — a hole
  18. craft — a skill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pit — in a race
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — the sport
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. suit — in cards

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