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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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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: cell · scale · wave · safe · firm · bore · prune · jam

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bore — to drill
  5. prune — to trim
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. firm — a company
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. firm — steady
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. cell — a phone
  18. firm — decided
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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