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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.

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: straw · safe · ball · season · rash · prune · pass · perch

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. season — of the year
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. rash — a series
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. prune — to trim
  8. season — in sport
  9. ball — a dance
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pass — a permit
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. prune — to trim
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pass — to spend time

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