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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: object · cell · safe · cabinet · present · deal · prune · snap

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. cell — a phone
  5. object — a thing
  6. prune — to trim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. present — a gift
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — there
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cell — in biology
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. present — the time now

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