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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
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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 · wave · spring · scale · mouse · bark · safe · spell

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. spell — letters
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — magic
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spring — the season
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — a coil
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. scale — in music
  17. spring — of water
  18. prune — to trim
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — to shout

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