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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wound — an injury
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wound — an injury
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a dance
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wax — to grow
  14. degree — temperature
  15. ball — a great time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — of a river
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — for sculpting

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