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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: fan · pass · prune · fine · mouse · safe · last · tear

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. prune — to trim
  13. last — finally
  14. prune — to trim
  15. last — final
  16. fine — all right
  17. tear — to rip
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. last — to go on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pass — a permit

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