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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: nail · mark · row · temple · safe · tear · can · squash

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. tear — to rip
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. row — a line
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. mark — a grade
  11. tear — from crying
  12. mark — a trace
  13. can — to be able to
  14. tear — from crying
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. squash — the sport
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. row — to paddle
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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