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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: prune · cabinet · present · scale · safe · lie · kick · wind

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wind — moving air
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. present — a gift
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — the time now
  14. scale — in music
  15. kick — in football
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — size or range
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. present — there

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