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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.

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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: bay · cold · squash · deal · bank · swing · safe · cue

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — in golf
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bank — of a river
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bank — for money
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cue — a signal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bank — for money
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cold — an illness
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. squash — the sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cue — a hint
  23. swing — music
  24. cold — not warm

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