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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fork — in a road
  4. swing — to play on
  5. spell — magic
  6. object — an aim
  7. row — to paddle
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a line
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — letters
  16. swing — music
  17. drill — army training
  18. swing — in golf
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. prune — to trim
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fork — a garden tool

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