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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.

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: season · squash · safe · cabinet · mine · snap · firm · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. firm — steady
  3. game — wild animals
  4. snap — to click
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. season — in sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. season — of the year
  19. firm — decided
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. squash — to crush
  22. firm — a company
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. squash — the vegetable

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