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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: spring · squash · swing · rule · bank · bowl · kick · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — music
  3. kick — in football
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. spring — the season
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. squash — to crush
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spring — of water
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — of a river
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. rule — government
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. spring — a coil
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. swing — to play on

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