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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 120 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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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: squash · row · fall · tube · cabinet · safe · present · mine

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. row — to paddle
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fall — to drop
  7. present — there
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. tube — a container
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. row — a line
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. present — the time now
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. present — a gift
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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