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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: fan · cold · safe · fine · cap · prune · fork · nail

  1. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. prune — the fruit
  2. prune — to trim
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. prune — to trim
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cap — a hat
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cold — not warm
  21. fine — high quality
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cap — a lid
  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