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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. prune — to trim
  3. staff — a stick
  4. game — wild animals
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. object — to protest
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. suit — to fit
  12. mine — for digging
  13. object — a thing
  14. staff — employees
  15. suit — clothes
  16. object — an aim
  17. game — a match
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. prune — to trim
  24. staff — employees

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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