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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: rest · squash · cue · tear · swing · safe · lean · roll

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rest — what's left
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. tear — from crying
  5. roll — a cake
  6. squash — to crush
  7. swing — music
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cue — a hint
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rest — what's left
  15. tear — to rip
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lean — thin
  18. cue — for pool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rest — a break
  21. roll — a list
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. swing — in golf
  24. roll — on a roll

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