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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · sharp · mine · cabinet · cell · prune · safe · tube

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — a phone
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mine — for digging
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. squash — the sport
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. sharp — clever
  15. prune — to trim
  16. cell — in biology
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. squash — to crush
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. tube — a container
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cabinet — ministers

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