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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. prune — to trim
  4. net — in sport
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. rush — hurry
  8. shower — to wash
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rock — a stone
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. net — after costs
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. net — for catching
  23. shower — rain
  24. rock — music

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