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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: hide · dip · ground · pop · hand · squash · safe · jam

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. pop — to visit
  4. squash — the sport
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. squash — to crush
  13. ground — a position
  14. pop — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. ground — the earth
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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