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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. last — to go on
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. hand — help
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hand — in cards
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. prune — to trim
  17. last — finally
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. last — final
  24. pit — a hole

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