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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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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: bear · prune · key · game · suit · safe · patient · snap

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. suit — to fit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. key — for a lock
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. game — wild animals
  11. prune — to trim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. suit — clothes
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bear — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. snap — to click
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. game — a match

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