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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: mine · lean · saw · safe · prune · bark · clip · ball

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. ball — a great time
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — to bend
  8. mine — for digging
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ball — a dance
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. clip — for paper
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. clip — to cut
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. clip — a video
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bark — of a tree

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