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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. can — to be able to
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. can — a tin
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. staff — employees
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. object — a thing
  15. can — a tin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. staff — employees
  18. chest — of your body
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. object — an aim
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. object — to protest
  24. rash — a series

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