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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. can — to be able to
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. can — a tin
  12. bass — low music
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bass — the fish
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — in a road
  23. can — a tin
  24. mate — a friend

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