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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: safe · lean · stock · prune · wake · scale · fork · rush

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. scale — size or range
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. lean — thin
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fork — in a road
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stock — goods
  16. rush — hurry
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. prune — to trim
  20. stock — shares
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wake — a trail
  24. scale — in music

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