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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. last — final
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. suit — in cards
  5. row — a line
  6. object — an aim
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. row — to paddle
  11. suit — clothes
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — to go on
  14. object — to protest
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. squash — to crush
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. prune — to trim
  22. last — finally
  23. prune — to trim
  24. squash — the vegetable

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