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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: wake · safe · field · net · fine · lie · mug · prune

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mug — a face
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. net — in sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fine — high quality
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — to recline
  13. field — for sport
  14. mug — a cup
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — after costs
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. field — a subject
  23. fine — all right
  24. mug — to rob

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