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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.

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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. object — a thing
  9. hand — in cards
  10. prune — to trim
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. object — an aim
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cell — a phone
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. object — to protest
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pass — to succeed
  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