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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. clip — a video
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. clip — for paper
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wind — moving air
  12. clip — to cut
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. deal — to handle
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. suit — clothes
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bear — the animal
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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