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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. prune — to trim
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. ground — a position
  7. bank — for money
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. prune — to trim
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — for digging
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bass — the fish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. ground — the earth

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