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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.

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: wake · safe · stick · wound · cabinet · squash · spell · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — magic
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spell — letters
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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