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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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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 have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. present — there
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. present — a gift
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. kick — in football
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fine — high quality
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. present — the time now
  23. rest — what's left
  24. fine — a penalty

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