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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pop — soda
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rash — a series
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fine — all right
  15. race — humankind
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wake — a trail
  23. pop — music
  24. safe — a strongbox

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