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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 120 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: board · rock · prune · saw · mate · safe · game · wind

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. saw — the tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. board — a committee
  11. wind — moving air
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. mate — a partner
  14. saw — the tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wind — moving air
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mate — to breed
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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