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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: bear · wind · safe · wound · key · hide · pass · prune

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — in music
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. key — the most important part
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bear — the animal

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