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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: deal · prune · clip · safe · rush · temple · cabinet · fan

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. clip — to cut
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. clip — for paper
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. clip — a video
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. deal — to handle
  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