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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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Word bank
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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: mate · content · ground · prune · chair · lean · safe · cabinet

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mate — to breed
  4. lean — to bend
  5. ground — crushed
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. chair — a leader
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ground — a position
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lean — thin
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. content — the amount

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