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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
468
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: bore · fan · tear · prune · safe · object · spell · wound

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. prune — to trim
  3. spell — magic
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — letters
  7. object — to protest
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. object — an aim
  16. wound — an injury
  17. object — a thing
  18. wound — an injury
  19. tear — from crying
  20. spell — a short time
  21. prune — to trim
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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