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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. prune — to trim
  4. season — in sport
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kid — child
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. pass — a permit
  9. capital — money
  10. kid — to tease
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. wound — an injury
  19. season — of the year
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lean — thin
  23. capital — a city
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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