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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. march — the month
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — to wash
  7. tube — the underground
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. march — music
  12. tube — a container
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. swing — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. march — the month
  23. prune — to trim
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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