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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. prune — to trim
  3. court — of law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. kid — child
  9. swing — in golf
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. swing — music
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. snap — to click
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. swing — to play on

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