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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. root — of a word
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — the fish
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. content — the amount
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. root — the cause
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. content — happy
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — help
  21. root — of a plant
  22. hand — in cards
  23. prune — to trim
  24. perch — for a bird

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