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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 120 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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. land — to come down
  5. last — final
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ground — the earth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. face — to confront
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — finally
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. ground — a position
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — crushed
  16. face — to point toward
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. squash — the sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. last — to go on
  21. squash — to crush
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — a country
  24. prune — to trim

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