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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: safe · deal · mouse · prune · clip · craft · object · leaves

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. object — an aim
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. prune — to trim
  6. object — to protest
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — to trim
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. object — a thing
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. clip — a video
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. craft — boats
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. craft — a skill
  22. clip — to cut
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. deal — to handle

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