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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: bore · safe · prune · suit · roll · kick · snap · cold

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. prune — to trim
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. prune — to trim
  6. roll — a list
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. kick — in football
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. snap — to click
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cold — an illness
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — to tire
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. roll — a cake
  21. suit — clothes
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. cold — not warm
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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