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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. key — for a lock
  3. tear — from crying
  4. prune — to trim
  5. scale — size or range
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. fall — the season
  8. prune — to trim
  9. scale — in music
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tear — to rip
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. key — the most important part
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. fall — to drop
  20. tear — from crying
  21. fall — to drop
  22. key — in music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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