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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pit — in a race
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pit — a hole
  10. spring — a coil
  11. charge — a price
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spring — the season
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spring — of water
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. charge — in control
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — an untruth

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