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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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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: fall · club · mine · prune · wound · safe · rush · stick

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. club — for dancing
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. prune — to trim
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. fall — to drop
  10. prune — to trim
  11. club — for golf
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — for digging
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fall — the season
  19. club — a group
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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