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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.

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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · prune · safe · drill · present · deal · nail · mug

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mug — a face
  4. present — a gift
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. drill — the tool
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. object — to protest
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. present — the time now
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. deal — to handle
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a cup
  18. present — there
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. drill — a practice
  23. mug — to rob
  24. drill — army training

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