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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: safe · prune · squash · toast · cap · wound

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. toast — bread
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. squash — the sport
  8. prune — to trim
  9. squash — to crush
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. cap — a hat
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wound — an injury

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