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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: roll · lean · prune · saw · rush · safe · bass · chip

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. bass — low music
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bass — the fish
  5. chip — for betting
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. roll — a cake
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. prune — to trim
  10. roll — a list
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lean — to bend
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — thin
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rush — hurry
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. prune — to trim
  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