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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 116 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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. chair — a leader
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. prune — to trim
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. wound — an injury
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. swing — music
  14. squash — to crush
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. squash — the sport
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a great time
  24. ball — a dance

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