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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.

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: kick · wake · rest · game · prune · plane · safe · spring

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spring — the season
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spring — of water
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wake — a trail
  17. spring — a coil
  18. kick — in football
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rest — a break
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. prune — to trim
  24. rest — what's left

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