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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  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. prune — to trim
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. wound — an injury
  4. sharp — clever
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. firm — decided
  8. prune — to trim
  9. court — of law
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mate — a friend
  13. court — for sport
  14. firm — a company
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. mate — to breed
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. branch — a division
  20. firm — steady
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. court — of a king
  23. mate — a partner
  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