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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: game · fan · squash · hide · saw · safe · mark · suit

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mark — a trace
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. suit — clothes
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mark — a grade
  8. suit — to fit
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. saw — the tool
  11. suit — in cards
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — wild animals
  19. squash — to crush
  20. game — a match
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — to pay attention

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