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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — to trim
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. last — finally
  10. rush — hurry
  11. dip — to sink
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. prune — to trim
  17. last — to go on
  18. content — the amount
  19. last — final
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. content — happy
  24. trunk — of a car

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