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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: spell · safe · row · bound · cold · rock · mug · squash

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bound — obliged
  4. squash — the sport
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — certain
  8. mug — to rob
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. rock — a stone
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cold — an illness
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cold — not warm
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rock — music
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. squash — to crush

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