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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 · tube · hide · object · row · rest · safe · key

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. rest — what's left
  3. tube — the underground
  4. key — in music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. row — to paddle
  8. object — a thing
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tube — a container
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. object — to protest
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. object — an aim
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — for a lock
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rest — a break
  23. key — the most important part
  24. row — a line

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