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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — not warm
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. perch — the fish
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bear — the animal
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fork — in a road
  12. prune — to trim
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bear — the animal
  18. deal — to handle
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. deal — a big deal

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