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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: prune · rock · wound · saw · mug · craft · pop · safe

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mug — to rob
  4. craft — boats
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. mug — a cup
  19. craft — a skill
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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