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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 116 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: deal · prune · safe · suit · chair · cap · race · dip

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. race — the arms race
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. suit — in cards
  10. dip — to sink
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. cap — of ice
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. suit — clothes
  15. race — humankind
  16. chair — a leader
  17. suit — to fit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. race — a contest
  20. deal — to handle
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. prune — to trim

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