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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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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: rule · ball · safe · craft · mug · shower · squash · mine

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ball — a great time
  6. rule — government
  7. shower — rain
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. mug — a face
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. squash — the sport
  15. rule — a law
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mug — to rob
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mug — a cup

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