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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chair — a leader
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. rest — a break
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. deal — to handle
  13. cold — an illness
  14. toast — bread
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. rest — what's left
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cold — not warm
  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