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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rock — music
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. rock — a stone
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. last — final
  18. prune — to trim
  19. game — a match
  20. bulb — for light
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. net — after costs
  24. safe — out of danger

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