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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. shower — rain
  3. prune — to trim
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. shower — to wash
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rest — what's left
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. game — wild animals
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rest — a break
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. prune — the fruit

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