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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · prune · scale · deal · safe · wax · drill · nail

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. scale — in music
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — to grow
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. deal — an agreement

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