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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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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: safe · root · stick · squash · season · nail · straw · net

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. season — of the year
  3. net — after costs
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — in sport
  6. squash — the sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. root — of a word
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. net — for catching
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. root — of a plant
  24. net — in sport

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