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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chip — to eat
  8. chip — for betting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — to crush
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bulb — for light
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. last — to go on
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cabinet — ministers

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