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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: club · suit · ball · leaves · wound · foot · safe · prune

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ball — a dance
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wound — an injury
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. suit — to fit
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. foot — a measure
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. prune — to trim
  18. club — for dancing
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. prune — to trim
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. leaves — of a tree

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