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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.

Make a worksheet

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: perch · hand · mug · wound · safe · squash · game · stick

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. game — a match
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mug — a face
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. hand — help
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wound — an injury
  20. game — wild animals
  21. squash — to crush
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. safe — out of danger

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