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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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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: bore · safe · prune · bank · mug · row · fork · wax

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bore — to drill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bank — for money
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mug — a face
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bank — for money
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bore — to tire
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wax — to grow
  24. prune — the fruit

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