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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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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: squash · wind · roll · band · mate · safe · deal · dip

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. squash — to crush
  3. band — a ring
  4. wind — moving air
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. band — a music group
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. roll — a cake
  10. squash — the sport
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. deal — to handle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. roll — a list
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. mate — a partner
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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