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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. foot — a measure
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. hand — in cards
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stand — to bear
  10. can — to be able to
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. cold — an illness
  17. hand — help
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cold — not warm
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. prune — to trim
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. cold — the Cold War

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