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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: saw · safe · bear · can · straw · prune · wound · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. prune — to trim
  3. can — to be able to
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wound — an injury
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bear — the animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. rock — music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bear — to put up with

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