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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: drill · wax · deal · kid · safe · prune · chest · bank

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bank — of a river
  6. chest — of your body
  7. drill — the tool
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. kid — to tease
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chest — a box
  16. bank — for money
  17. prune — to trim
  18. kid — child
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. prune — to trim
  22. deal — to handle
  23. drill — army training
  24. wax — to grow

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