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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: prune · drill · craft · mate · bass · safe · nail · band

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. prune — to trim
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bass — the fish
  5. band — a ring
  6. drill — a practice
  7. mate — to breed
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. drill — the tool
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. mate — a partner
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — army training
  15. mate — a friend
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. craft — boats
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bass — the instrument

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