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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. court — of law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. squash — the sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. field — for sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. court — of a king
  14. field — farmland
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. court — for sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. squash — to crush
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. field — a subject

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