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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. spring — the season
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. spring — of water
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. chip — to eat
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. sharp — exactly

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