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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cue — a hint
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. track — a path
  11. cue — a signal
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rock — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cue — for pool
  23. track — a song
  24. track — to keep track

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