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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pit — a hole
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. last — finally
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bank — for money
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bank — for money
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. pit — in a race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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