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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. shower — rain
  4. current — of water
  5. current — electric
  6. prune — to trim
  7. shower — to wash
  8. suit — in cards
  9. hand — in cards
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. chest — of your body
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. net — for catching
  16. suit — to fit
  17. net — after costs
  18. suit — clothes
  19. current — happening now
  20. chest — a box
  21. hand — help
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. chest — of your body
  24. net — in sport

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