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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.

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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: prune · bound · deal · safe · row · snap · object · mate

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. object — an aim
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. object — a thing
  5. row — a line
  6. deal — to handle
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bound — certain
  9. object — to protest
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bound — tied together
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mate — to breed
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. row — to paddle
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mate — a partner
  21. snap — to click
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — obliged
  24. safe — a strongbox

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