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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 · bound · prune · can · firm · wave · date · hand

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bound — tied together
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. firm — steady
  15. firm — decided
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. can — a tin
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. can — to be able to
  24. date — on the calendar

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