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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: club · rest · firm · prune · suit · tube · safe · kid

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. club — for dancing
  4. kid — to tease
  5. prune — to trim
  6. firm — decided
  7. kid — child
  8. tube — the underground
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. tube — a container
  12. rest — a break
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rest — what's left
  20. suit — to fit
  21. firm — a company
  22. rest — what's left
  23. suit — clothes
  24. firm — steady

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