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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — employees
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. capital — a city
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. staff — employees
  10. object — a thing
  11. prune — to trim
  12. object — an aim
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. staff — a stick
  15. capital — money
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. cue — for pool
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cue — a signal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. object — to protest
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cue — a hint

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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