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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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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 · plane · squash · firm · wave · rush · kid · file

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — child
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. firm — a company
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. firm — decided
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. plane — a tool
  13. firm — steady
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. rush — hurry
  24. safe — a strongbox

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