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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. content — the amount
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. face — to point toward
  14. hand — in cards
  15. prune — to trim
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. fine — all right
  18. bank — for money
  19. face — to confront
  20. content — happy
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hand — help
  23. fine — high quality
  24. face — part of the head

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