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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: jam · safe · prune · snap · club · bore · kid · mate

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mate — to breed
  6. club — for golf
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to click
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mate — a partner
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — to drill
  24. jam — in traffic

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