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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: prune · root · kick · spring · safe · shower · chip · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. prune — to trim
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chip — for betting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. root — the cause
  11. shower — rain
  12. spring — of water
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. saw — the tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chip — to eat
  22. root — of a word
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. kick — in football

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