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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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468
Word bank
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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. prune — to trim
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — a line
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. prune — to trim
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bear — the animal
  23. row — to paddle
  24. bear — the animal

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