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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 · cabinet · present · saw · bass · safe · row · rush

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — a line
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. row — to paddle
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. saw — the tool
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bass — the fish
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — a gift
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. present — there
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — hurry
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — the time now
  24. safe — out of danger

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