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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. staff — employees
  5. roll — a cake
  6. last — to go on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bat — the animal
  9. last — final
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. last — finally
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chip — for betting
  18. roll — a list
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. chip — to eat
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bear — the animal

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