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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — to trim
  4. key — in music
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cold — an illness
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. press — newspapers
  16. fine — all right
  17. wound — an injury
  18. press — to push
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. press — a publisher

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