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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: pound · firm · patient · row · prune · wake · safe · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. firm — decided
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pop — to visit
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. firm — a company
  13. row — to paddle
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — a trail
  16. row — a line
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pop — music
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — a weight
  23. prune — to trim
  24. firm — steady

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