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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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Word bank
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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. present — the time now
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cap — a hat
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. toast — bread
  12. cap — a lid
  13. scale — size or range
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. scale — in music
  16. present — there
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. prune — to trim
  21. present — a gift
  22. cap — of ice
  23. snap — to click
  24. safe — out of danger

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