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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. squash — the sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. net — in sport
  9. face — to point toward
  10. branch — a division
  11. prune — to trim
  12. net — after costs
  13. squash — to crush
  14. present — a gift
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — for catching
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mine — for digging
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to confront
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. prune — to trim
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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