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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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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: press · safe · root · club · kid · prune · lie · mark

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mark — a grade
  7. kid — to tease
  8. prune — to trim
  9. root — the cause
  10. mark — a trace
  11. root — of a word
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lie — to recline
  14. root — of a plant
  15. club — for dancing
  16. press — a publisher
  17. prune — to trim
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. press — newspapers
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for golf
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. press — to push

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