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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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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: kick · perch · deal · squash · current · safe · chest · jam

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. chest — of your body
  3. current — of water
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. squash — the sport
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. perch — the fish
  13. current — happening now
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. current — electric
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. chest — a box
  24. kick — in football

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