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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: swing · prune · stand · race · cell · mate · toast · safe

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. swing — to play on
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mate — a partner
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. swing — music
  10. race — a contest
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — to breed
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. cell — in biology
  18. toast — bread
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. swing — in golf
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stand — to bear
  23. race — humankind
  24. stand — for spectators

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