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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. fall — the season
  15. lean — to bend
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. rush — hurry
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lean — thin
  21. fall — to drop
  22. prune — to trim
  23. kid — child
  24. stem — to come from

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