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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. last — final
  3. last — to go on
  4. firm — a company
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. last — finally
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lie — to recline
  15. court — of a king
  16. lean — to bend
  17. court — of law
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. firm — decided
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. firm — steady
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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