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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. lean — thin
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. spell — letters
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. content — happy
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chair — a leader
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lean — to bend
  17. stem — to come from
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spell — magic
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. coach — a trainer

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