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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. prune — to trim
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — a thing
  18. face — to confront
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — an aim
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bulb — of a plant

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