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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. object — a thing
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rest — a break
  5. cue — for pool
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cue — a signal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — the season
  13. object — to protest
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fall — to drop
  16. land — to come down
  17. fall — to drop
  18. object — an aim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. prune — to trim
  22. cue — a hint
  23. rest — what's left
  24. prune — the fruit

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