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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.

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: cold · squash · safe · tube · charge · face · saw · shower

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. saw — the tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. charge — electricity
  10. face — to point toward
  11. charge — a price
  12. cold — an illness
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — in control
  17. tube — a container
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. shower — rain
  21. cold — not warm
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tube — the underground

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