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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — a match
  4. present — a gift
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. present — the time now
  9. game — wild animals
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. safe — out of danger

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