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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: prune · lie · cold · safe · craft · leaves · snap · charge

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lie — to recline
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. charge — in control
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cold — an illness
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. cold — not warm
  18. craft — a skill
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. charge — a price
  21. snap — to click
  22. craft — boats
  23. charge — electricity
  24. craft — a handicraft

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