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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. prune — to trim
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. roll — a cake
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — to trim
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mine — for digging
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. roll — a list
  24. prune — the fruit

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