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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. prune — to trim
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — a short time
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. prune — to trim
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. root — the cause
  13. chip — for betting
  14. capital — a city
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. root — of a word
  18. spell — magic
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. capital — money
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. temple — a place of worship

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