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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. prune — to trim
  4. rest — what's left
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rest — a break
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. cold — not warm
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. prune — to trim
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bound — certain
  23. wound — an injury
  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