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

Word bank: foot · cap · snap · prune · march · safe · tube · wave

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — a container
  13. cap — of ice
  14. march — music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cap — a lid
  20. snap — to click
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a hat
  24. march — the month

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