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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: toast · fork · prune · pass · safe · staff · drill · stick

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — a permit
  3. staff — employees
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. toast — bread
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. prune — to trim
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. staff — a stick
  15. drill — a practice
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. staff — employees
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. prune — to trim

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