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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 · spell · tube · present · can · safe · rest · squash

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. spell — letters
  9. can — to be able to
  10. squash — to crush
  11. cold — an illness
  12. can — a tin
  13. tube — a container
  14. present — there
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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