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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. prune — to trim
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. net — for catching
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — of the year
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. net — after costs
  20. squash — the sport
  21. net — in sport
  22. season — in sport
  23. prune — to trim
  24. squash — to crush

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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