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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: wound · content · drill · craft · rock · pop · safe · prune

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. content — the amount
  5. pop — music
  6. pop — soda
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — music
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. drill — army training
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pop — to visit
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. content — happy

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