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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — ground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. land — a country
  6. key — for a lock
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — the tool
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — a contest
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. land — to come down
  18. race — humankind
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. race — the arms race
  21. prune — to trim
  22. key — in music
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. wave — of the sea

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