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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.

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: chair · drill · bowl · squash · prune · mine · leaves · safe

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. prune — to trim
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. squash — the sport
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. drill — a practice
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. prune — to trim
  18. drill — the tool
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. drill — army training
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. safe — out of danger

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