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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cell — a phone
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. cell — in biology
  19. suit — to fit
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a match
  22. wound — an injury
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ruler — for measuring

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