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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wind — moving air
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. prune — to trim
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — the season
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. coach — a trainer

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