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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. swing — to play on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kick — in football
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. swing — music
  15. cue — for pool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cue — a hint
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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