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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: pass · row · safe · pop · squash · game · straw · file

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. file — a tool
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. squash — to crush
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pop — to visit
  10. squash — the sport
  11. row — a line
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pop — music
  14. file — a document
  15. game — wild animals
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pop — soda
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. row — to paddle
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pass — a permit

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