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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 116 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: ruler · bowl · safe · lean · pass · drill · present · prune

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. prune — to trim
  4. lean — thin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — army training
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. prune — to trim
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pass — a permit
  22. present — the time now
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. drill — a practice

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