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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spring — of water
  3. tear — from crying
  4. roll — a list
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — a coil
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. tear — to rip
  15. spring — the season
  16. squash — the sport
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tear — from crying
  24. squash — to crush

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