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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 120 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: wound · leaves · safe · cabinet · prune · bulb · pitch · chest

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. chest — of your body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chest — a box
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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