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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rule — a law
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. rule — government
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pop — to visit

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