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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cell — a phone
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. content — the amount
  8. hand — help
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mug — to rob
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — in biology
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. content — happy
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mug — a face
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. mine — an explosive

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