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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.

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: net · rock · march · prune · cabinet · safe · cold · wake

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cold — an illness
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. march — the month
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cold — not warm
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — for catching
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. net — in sport
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. march — the month
  23. net — after costs
  24. wake — before a funeral

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