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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. band — a music group
  8. wound — an injury
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wound — an injury
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. band — a ring
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. kick — in football
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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