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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rest — what's left
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — certain
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bat — the animal
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bound — tied together
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. saw — the tool
  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