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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. prune — to trim
  3. march — the month
  4. rash — hasty
  5. march — music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rash — a series
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — in sport
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rest — a break
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. net — after costs
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. shower — rain
  16. rest — what's left
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. rest — what's left

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