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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. last — final
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — the time now
  5. wound — an injury
  6. last — to go on
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wound — an injury
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. toast — bread
  23. last — finally
  24. present — there

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