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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — a trail
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — a grade
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. staff — employees
  11. mark — a trace
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cell — in biology
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. file — a document
  21. staff — employees
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. staff — a stick

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