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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. last — finally
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. prune — to trim
  7. swing — in golf
  8. tear — from crying
  9. prune — to trim
  10. last — final
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tear — to rip
  14. last — to go on
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. present — a gift
  18. swing — to play on
  19. present — the time now
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. swing — music
  24. tear — from crying

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