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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: mate · cap · saw · cell · safe · bat · bore · prune

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mate — a friend
  7. cell — a phone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bat — the animal
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. mate — a partner
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. cap — a lid
  24. mate — to breed

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