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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
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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: straw · cabinet · bore · squash · charge · safe · wake · ground

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. squash — to crush
  3. ground — a position
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — a price
  7. squash — the sport
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. charge — electricity
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ground — the earth
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bore — to drill
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. charge — in control

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