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

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. last — to go on
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. present — there
  7. last — finally
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. present — a gift
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rash — a series
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rash — hasty
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. last — final
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. present — the time now
  23. can — a tin
  24. racket — a loud noise

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