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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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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. march — the month
  5. season — in sport
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. march — the month
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. march — music
  19. prune — to trim
  20. season — of the year
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ruler — a monarch

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